There’s an island where seashells blanket the beach and another where adventure soars from a parasailing chute. Ancient Indian shell mounds rise from several islands you can reach only by boat, while modern resorts share sand on others. A dozen major islands and uncountable activities and attractions promise unforgettable discoveries, no matter what your style.
Here are 10 ways to immerse yourself in the island life on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel:
1. Get in Touch With Nature
Learn about the local flora and fauna with a visit to island parks and preserves. Most well-known among birders and mangrove maniacs, J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge takes up more than half of Sanibel Island with its Wildlife Drive wetland scenes and backwater kayak trails. Just down the road, nature lovers can explore freshwater gator habitat, a butterfly house and more at Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.
2. Visit a Funky Art Gallery
One of the area’s biggest but least-discovered islands, Pine Island inspires artists with its pure nature, Calusa Indian history and colorful fishing fleet. The artists, their studios and galleries cluster in the old sun-faded fish houses in a community known as Matlacha (matt la SHAY). Ask about art nights in winter and spring.
3. Stock Up on Island Attire
Your wardrobe needs a bit of island casual and sass. Scour the boutiques and specialty shops at Times Square on Fort Myers Beach, just steps off the sand, or at lush Periwinkle Place on Sanibel Island.
4. Cook Your Catch
Nothing tastes better and more of the islands than a fish you reeled in yourself. Take it from hook to grill at your island cottage. Or visit a waterfront restaurant that will prepare your grouper, snapper or – if you’re really lucky – snook, to exact specifications.
5. Become a Shelling Buff
Step one: Visit the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel Island to learn about the local shells. Step two: Hit the beach! Apply your newfound knowledge by shelling some of the area’s legendary beachcombing spots: Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Cayo Costa and Bonita Beach.
6. Rent a Bike
Sanibel Island has more than 30 miles of paved shared-use path that take bikers from beaches and shopping to Captiva Island. Pine Island’s 15-mile path passes villages and palm tree farms. The paths also welcome walkers, hikers and inline skaters.
7. Get a Bird’s-Eye-View (or a Sea-Level Perspective)
Fly over the islands on a seaplane or take a parasailing ride to gain a whole new perspective of the area’s diverse island-scapes. Or paddle to the towering Calusa shell mound site at Mound Key Archeological State Park along the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail.
8. Eat Like an Islander
Fresh seafood and exotic fruits and cuisines fill menus and stomachs at family favorites such as RC Otter’s Island Eats on Captiva Island and Lazy Flamingo on Sanibel Island and in Bokeelia. For waterfront romance, try Tarpon Lodge in Pineland. For the ultimate island dining experience, lunch on a bridgeless island (you can hop aboard a Captiva Cruises excursion to Cabbage Key, Useppa Island or Gasparilla Island). Or pack a basket, rent a boat and cruise to Picnic Island.
9. Look for the Green Flash
Islanders tell of an elusive green flash that sparks on the horizon at the very moment the sun winks out. Watch for it with sand in your flip-flops and a toast in hand. Or better yet, watch for it from the water. Board the Fort Myers Princess from Fort Myers Beach for a sunset party cruise on the Gulf of Mexico – that's one way to guarantee an uninhibited view of the horizon.
10. Get Into the Nightlife Rhythm
In the bars and clubs of Fort Myers Beach, you can dance carefree to island music. Or find a quiet patch of sand on any island to create your own beautiful music under the stars with the rhythm of waves.
Comments
I like the beach . there was more beautiful place to go. is it truth?
Post new comment